Trump says he “loves” the billionaire tax, but it’s not enough to lose the election

• President Donald Trump He said in an interview released on Friday time He would actually “love” taxes on billionaires. This is among the strong opposition from many of the GOPs, contradicting other official statements he made this week about taxing wealthy people.

Existence Millionaire It is no surprise that, himself, President Donald Trump is opposed to higher taxes on wealthy people. However, in an interview released on Friday timeTrump seemed to change his song.

When asked if he would support billionaires taxes, Trump said “I don’t care about the fact that (certainly) they’re raising taxes,” but the only reason he doesn’t support it is because he fears he’ll lose the election.

“I saw Bush where they said, he said, ‘I read my lips’ and he lost the election,” Trump said. time Interview. “He would have lost it anyway, but he lost the election. He was beaten pretty well.” (President George H.W. Bush actually won the 1988 election after saying, “Read my lips: No new taxes” during the campaign. After that, there was no after. Large deficitand he broke his promise as he agreed to a tax increase. (He lost his re-election bid for President Bill Clinton in 1992).

Meanwhile, this was Trump’s inner circle this week. It is reportedly Consider whether the White House should support a tax hike on Americans who make more than $1 million a year. Washington Post. But on Wednesday, Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the complete opposition.

“I think it’s very destructive because a lot of billionaires leave the country,” Trump said. He told reporters. “Oldly they left the state. They go from one state to another. Now the transport is so quick and very easy, they leave the country.”

But Trump’s Interview with timehe said he was “honored” to pay more taxes, but with one caveat.

“But I don’t want to be in a position where I lost the election because I was generous, but I don’t mind paying as rich, and you know, we’re barely talking,” Trump said. “We’re talking about one point. It’s not that different, but we could see people trying to lift it up as a subject. And then, “Oh, he’s raised the tax.”

Taxing the rich is usually associated with the Democrats, so many Trump’s allies are openly opposed to the GOP’s move to tax the rich. Trump advisers, including Newt Gingrich, Steve Moore and Larry Kudlow, have argued that the plan is against the president’s promise to lower taxes. Washington Post. Johnson and GOPSens. Dave McCormick And Ted Cruz also points out their opposition.

The other side of the argument is that raising taxes on the wealthy would help the middle class. A large number of votes for Trump.

“I’ll raise (taxes) to wealthy people to take care of the middle class,” Trump said. “And that’s what I love. I actually love the concept, but I don’t want it to be used politically against me, especially since I’ve seen people lose less elections on fake news.”

Raising taxes on wealthy people will help fund trillions of dollars of government with tax credits and cuts in federal programs to fulfill Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

“The current system we have is not sustainable,” he said, adding that former chief strategist of the first Trump administration, Steve Bannon. I said At Semafor’s World Economic Summit on Wednesday. “We have to go with an alternative. I think the alternative is budget cuts. And… it has to be a tax increase for the wealthy.”

This story was originally introduced Fortune.com